New Year's Twilight
by butterfly collective
Summary: Not long before "A Glimmer of Twilight", both C.J. and Matt face New Year's far away from where they want to be.
1. Chapter 1

She woke up in the morning, warmed by a stream of sunlight that slipped through the window curtains telling her that she'd overslept.

C.J. sat up, wrapped in her bed covers looking around the room. The cat who'd been her constant companion at night blinked its eyes from where it lay at the foot of the bed. She frowned, realizing that for once, she had no memory of her dreams not even fragments.

Whether they'd been pleasant reenactments of fond memories or nightmares fueled by the last few months she had no idea. Not a bad thing, she thought as she pushed away her covers and got out of bed to get dressed.

Normally she was up before the dawn, not needing an alarm to rouse her. After all, there were the chores that needed to be done to keep a working ranch running and she pitched in as soon as she'd been able and kept herself busy just like the other hands.

From sunrise to past sundown, she was out riding Sienna out in frozen country dealing with wandering bands of horses and repairing fences which had splintered from the freezing temperatures. It kept her busy, her mind focused on day to day matters rather than the past, which she'd relegated only to nights when her defenses dropped with slumber.

She looked at the clock. 7:30 A.M. damn she really overslept. She went to the bathroom and stripped to take a quick shower, the only warmth she'd feel despite the sunshine outside. Winters in this corner of Colorado nestled in the Rockies were often brutal and she'd gotten more than a taste of nature.

The shower warmed her and since the bandage had been removed from her shoulder, she stuck to gently washing the injured area that had bred an infection which nearly killed her.

After showering, she got dressed in jeans and a woolen shirt and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Thea and Bonnie stood there drinking coffee while Thea stirred some eggs sizzling on the stove. They looked up when C.J. walked in. Thea smiled.

"Good morning Kelly…"

C.J.'s name while she remained in hiding. By now, she'd learned to respond to it as if it'd been her name since birth.

"Good morning…I'm sorry…I overslept. I'll get straight to work."

Thea shook her head.

"No it's all right," she said, "It's a light day…a storm's due later on so no one will be doing much riding today."

"Still I was going to go look at the fencing by the lake…"

Thea smiled.

"Not without breakfast…and I might need your help," she said, "We'll be having some company later for dinner…for the holiday. It's our turn to host this year."

"A party?"

Bonnie nodded.

"I hosted last year…guests mostly the other ranchers bring food and it's a lot of fun," she said, "Though with the storm front moving in…"

Thea nodded.

"Might see fewer guests this year. But Kelly, you did so well with the cider at the Halloween party I thought you might want to help with that."

C.J. nodded.

"Okay there's plenty of apples left," she said, "I'll get started…"

Thea got a plate and piled it high with eggs and thick strips of bacon.

"Eat some breakfast first," she said, "There's still plenty of time."

C.J. dug in her food, her appetite being quite vigorous since recovering from her illness. She'd started putting back some of the weight she'd lost during her months held captive. Thea poured herself another cup of coffee.

"How you feeling this morning?"

C.J. smiled.

"Good…I slept really well…too well."

"You're still recovering and getting plenty of rest is part of that," Thea said, "The men will be back by lunch."

C.J. ate her breakfast listening to Bonnie and Thea chat about the party and the latest news in the ranching community.

She found her own mind wandering not to her most recent past but to further back…back before her world had changed forever. The days spent working on cases with Matt and Uncle Roy…mornings spent sharing coffee and gossip with Chris and then the time when Matt's girlfriend Elizabeth returned back into his life.

Their whirlwind courtship. Their aborted wedding and Matt's downward slide afterward. She'd been busy working with the feds to find out who was siphoning money away from Houston Enterprises.

She'd had her own suspect but hadn't been able to prove it before…she closed her eyes not wanting to remember that. Better to focus on the present, lying low, pretending to be someone else and staying alive.

* * *

Matt finished his run along the coastline of the island and then headed back to the compound. Brady, Zeke and the others were heading out to sea to do some fishing. The business they ran when not out in the field working as mercenaries.

Today they'd be on the boat since they just returned from a job. Matt had been recruited to help them rescue a group of children who'd been kidnapped to serve as cannon fodder in some civil war between two factions on an island nation off of Venezuela.

They'd slipped in on a moonless night into the camp and liberated them and then shot it out with a small cadre of guards before boarding a boat and taking off across the harbor. The siding had been pocked with bullet holes and Zeke had been dinged by a shot that ricocheted.

The children were in a refugee camp being processed, though it seemed unlikely most would be reunited with their families. Some had been castoffs willingly sold by their kin to middlemen for the army recruiters.

Eluding them too had been the kingpin behind the sale of them to the rebel forces, a mysterious man who was legendary in these parts although he remained in the shadows.

A man who in short time had emerged as the top human trafficker in Latin America, beginning to spread his tentacles ever further as his organization expanded across the hemisphere.

Matt didn't think about all that right now. He sipped really strong java with his eggs and grits after getting up with the sun to hit the boat. Brady and Zeke sat across from him joking about the upcoming New Year's Eve party in town.

"So you ready to celebrate Houston?"

He looked up at them from his plate.

"I'm going to stop and make another call," he said, "I haven't been able to get through."

Zeke and Brady looked at each other.

"I'm sure everything's just fine. You know reception's spotty on this island. Serena will be lucky to be able to patch you through. But I'm sure your people are taking care of your business."

Matt believed that but he'd wanted to talk to her. His business partner he'd abruptly left six months ago after his aborted wedding to Elizabeth. Their last words…he didn't want to think about it.

He'd had six months to do that and occasionally sent postcards back to the office without leaving a forwarding address.

He'd fallen off the grid so to speak and savored the feeling of being truly anonymous out in the world away from his life most of the time…but lately…he'd grown restless. Not to mention he realized what…and who he really wanted.

"I just want to wish her a happy holiday and that I'll be coming home soon."

Brady chortled.

"You really mean it? This isn't the life for you?"

Matt smiled while taking a bite. Not that the island idyll wasn't a great place to relax in between jobs for the mercenary crew but he felt the pull to go back home to L.A. and pick up his life at last. Zeke jabbed outward with his fork.

"What's this woman of yours going to think when you tell her you want everything to change?"

Good question. Matt knew that he wanted his relationship with his lifelong friend C.J. to change but how would she feel about any sudden declarations? After all, he didn't know how much her life had changed since he left town. Had she met someone? Did she have a boyfriend and were they serious?

His throat tightened at the thought. No, he had to get back home and tell her. It couldn't be too late could it? He'd find out soon enough.

He poked his food.

"I don't know. She'll be surprised for sure."

"What if there's someone else in the picture?"

Matt just looked at Zeke.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Both men chuckled

"I imagine she'll have something to say about it either way," Brady said, "Too Mean used to tell us about you two…wondering when you'd get your heads straight, your acts together and hook up."

Matt bristled.

"This isn't a hookup."

Zeke smirked.

"No it's true love…yeah we know," he said, "We're with you bro, we just hope it works out for you but if it doesn't and you need a job…"

Matt sighed.

"I'll appreciate the offer but L.A.'s my home."

Zeke shrugged.

"We'll be busy rolling in money here," he said, "especially with the slave cases…not that it's not a damn shame that ugly business is in our midst."

Brady nodded.

"This new guy…he's a rising star," he said, "Though he's focused mostly on the sex trade."

Matt shook his head. The guy was scum as far as he was concerned but he was also faceless. At any rate that world would be far behind him when he was back handling his caseload back in L.A. with C.J. and Roy helping him.

He missed those days. Hopefully he wasn't too far away from realizing more just like them.

Mostly he missed her.

* * *

C.J. walked up from the cellar with the apples to work on the cider. They would sterilize and heat the jars later so they'd be warm enough for the cider mix. Thea had taught her how to make the popular drink during Halloween and she knew she could handle it. It'd stop her from thinking about much else.

Thea glanced at her in the kitchen.

"Jed and the others are due back soon," she said, "Bonnie's going to be helping with the chicken."

C.J. nodded and went to the broad table with her apples.

"The weather improving?"

Thea shook her head.

"Three feet expected by morning," she said, "I expect about a baker's dozen for the party tonight."

C.J. digested that and though she could handle it. Ever since her escape she didn't like being around a lot of people, crowds of them in town she avoided. If she didn't…she'd break out in a cold sweat and feel faint.

She didn't like to be bumped or jostled…or even touched. Her skin had turned super sensitive even as her insides numbed.

She thought she could make it through the party tonight. Halloween had turned out to be enjoyable, a few hours of forgetting why she was here.

Forgetting about them, the two men.

The man of her dreams and the one in her nightmares.


	2. Chapter 2

Matt stretched out on the fishing boat, sitting on an old deck chaise, drinking some of the famed mango nectar that was a staple of this part of the tropics. They'd taken the fishing boat to haul in a hefty catch and to blow off some steam after that last job.

It'd been so damn tough. Seeing what had happened to a group of young children that had been either kidnapped or sold off to fight in a man's army. At least they were in a safe place on the outside if not inside their own heads.

Matt knew all about what that was like but he survived it and built a life for himself.

"Hey Houston…you going to lie and be lazy while we do all the work?"

He grinned.

"I caught the first net of fish," he said, "I'm taking my lunch break off the clock."

Zeke waved his hand.

"Yeah but we'll net more than you did then you'll have to spend the rest of the afternoon on the clock catching up."

Matt sipped his juice.

"We'll see…you know what they say about counting chickens before they hatch," he said, "You haven't caught those fish yet."

Zeke just shook his head and Matt relaxed while Brady grabbed a couple of tamales and sat on a creaky deck chair across from Matt.

"You getting some sun there?"

"Breeze tempers it a bit," Matt said, "right off the ocean. Doesn't get any better."

Brody smiled.

"Can't argue with that. So you ready to party? Do some celebrating in saying goodbye to the old year, welcome more of the new."

Zeke chuckled.

"It'll all be more of the same."

Brody shrugged.

"Maybe not…and Houston will be taking leave of us soon to head on back home…not enough excitement for him here."

Matt arched his brows.

"Plenty of that…I've been gone for six months…time to head back to my life…my uncle's handling my caseload…"

Brady nodded.

"You've got a business to run and you've got a woman waiting at home for you."

Matt pursed his lips.

"I'm not so sure she's waiting but I've missed her. Got plenty to tell her…"

Brady and Zeke looked at each other shaking their heads in amusement.

"What if she's got a man waiting there with her," Zeke said, "You hadn't talked to anyone back in LA since you left."

Matt realized that. It'd been part of what he'd needed to do when he took off that night after making the decision that he needed to get away from his life, drop off the grid and do a lot of thinking. He'd been running on empty since the broken engagement and he'd spent the first two weeks of his traveling barely standing still.

Six months later, he felt more relaxed…having gotten his running out of his system a while ago. But he felt restless in a whole different way.

He didn't know why but he'd woken up one morning and knew his traveling was nearly over.

"I just need to see her again. Catch up and we'll see what happens next."

Zeke shook his head.

"Man don't tell her that you want to get more serious until you know where she stands."

Matt looked out across the ocean towards the horizon which shimmered in the hot sun. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

* * *

C.J. finished preparing the mushy apples for the cider making and Thea had sterilized the jars. They put the mixture in the jars so they'd make enough for the party. C.J. washed her hands and poured herself some coffee.

Jed and the other hands had finished early just in time as a grey mist swept into the valley promising snow later, temperatures dropping which led to Jed rekindling the warmth of the fireplace. She sat on the sofa there pulling a blanket around herself as Jed and Thea joined her. She'd poured stew in bowls for them to eat as they talked.

"We found the stragglers," Jed said, "Cisco got past the lake again…but didn't reach the trail."

C.J. smiled. Cisco, the yearling had proven to be the Houdini of the herd and she'd taken Sienna out herself more than once to track him down. Once caught, he stood willingly allowing a rope to be snapped to his halter to head back to the pasture.

Thea smiled.

"He'll be able to start training soon on the longue," she said, "Then he'll have something to do with all that energy."

Jed nodded.

"He does look like a good one but then all the youngsters by Diablo El Sol have done well."

C.J. had heard stories about the legendary dun stallion that lurked somewhere in the foothills of the valley running wild but she'd never seen him.

Jed turned to her.

"So Kelly…Thea tells me you did the cider."

C.J. gazed at him and nodded.

"I enjoyed learning how for the Halloween Party. I wanted to help."

Thea smiled.

"You did…you feeling all right?"

C.J. rubbed her arms, feeling the slight ache in her shoulder.

"Fine…I'm really almost better."

Physically speaking, but inside herself not nearly…not that she could dwell on that part of her…not to stay alive. So she just focused on her recovery from the more visible signs of her imprisonment and escape.

Jed and Thea glanced at each other. Thea smiled.

"You're putting on weight," she said, "the doctor was pleased about that…"

C.J. smiled, thinking of all the meals that Thea had prepared for her once she felt like eating again. That and getting out in the fresh air, riding, working and splitting fence had helped her build muscle again. Even her broken wrist had mostly healed though it ached on the coldest mornings before she started using it.

Jed nodded.

"She's been working really hard. Working the other men into the ground most of the time."

She shrugged beneath her blanket, holding her bowl of stew.

"It helps me to think about work…focus on that."

She didn't want to talk about at night when her guard dropped with sleep and the images that filled her dreams. Not much she could do about it, she just had to get through each day and survive without being discovered.

Until Jonathan and the U.S. Marshal's figured out what to do with her next.

Jed tilted his face.

"Hard work can take your mind off of a lot," he said, "but it can't make you forget."

Thea cast a glance at him and C.J. felt her mouth dry. She reached for her coffee.

"What I mean is that I know when I've had a lot on my mind…working helps untangle my thoughts and things make more sense."

C.J. sighed.

"I know…but when Jonathan comes back, I'm going to have to sort things out better…with what happened."

She felt the familiar agitation, the tension in her muscles, and cold dampness on the nape of her neck. Thea rubbed her shoulder.

"You'll be able to do that when the time comes…"

C.J. wondered about that. Just thinking about the three months she'd spent imprisoned by her kidnapper…the numbness that nothing penetrated returned.

Jonathan would not be happy and she didn't know to change that.

* * *

Matt unloaded the catch of the day along with Brady after they moored the boat to the pier. They'd make quite a bit of money when they sold it to their vendors, something else to celebrate at the party. He went to shower and change in his bungalow eager to rid himself of the smell of fish and brine.

Heat still clung to the island like a wet blanket but the evening breeze would make it manageable. He wore some light slacks and a tee shirt and ran into Bertha as she tended to some mango trees next to the main building.

"So Houston…you heading on into town?"

She tossed him a mango and he caught it.

"Thought I'd check it out….supposed to be a floating poker game before midnight."

She smiled.

"Hard to pass that up. Bring us back some money this time."

He chuckled.

"I'm going to stop at Serena's station and make a call."

Bertha nodded.

"Your people back in L.A. They must miss you."

Matt sighed.

"I miss them…and it's time to go back."

Brady walked up to them having changed his clothes.

"Zeke will be here and we'll head on out."

Matt nodded. Zeke grabbed a mango.

"He said there's some rough customers in town…might be here from Sapphire Island."

Matt's hairs bristled on the back of his neck. He'd heard of the island just north of Venezuela where mercenaries and smugglers hung out in between assignments or shipments. Some characters much worse than that including a trafficker or two rumored to have compounds nestled the imposing mountain ranges.

"They here for the festivities or business?"

Zeke sighed.

"I don't know…we'd better stay out of their way if any recognize us."

Matt rolled his mango in between his hands.

"Those lieutenants we roughed up," he said, "They wouldn't name their boss."

"They'll never do that ever. They're dead otherwise. The guy just branched out into children…he mostly deals in women."

Matt considered that, hearing the stories. But he and the other men though interrogated by the feds, including ICE didn't have much to say about the faceless leader of the ring.

"They'll never find them. It's out of our hands."

He knew that he'd be leaving the island and all the intrigue behind to head back to his life in L.A. That thought preoccupied him as the men headed off to the village.


	3. Chapter 3

Serena looked at Matt bemused. She'd been working on getting his phone call connected to his business office in Los Angeles.

Zeke shook his head.

"Houston…they're probably getting ready to party down like us."

Matt frowned, watching Serena work her magic on her equipment.

"It's still afternoon here," he said, "Chris, C.J. I'm sure will be putting some hours in and my uncle…if he's not in the field he'll be there."

Zeke tilted his face.

"Your girl might be out on a hot date…with a boyfriend."

Matt knew that could be the case…after all it'd been nearly six months and he'd not talked to her or anyone else. He'd dropped all communication save the postcards he sent occasionally when he thought about it.

But he'd made up his mind and he still wanted to talk to her. Maybe he'd get lucky in more ways than one. Maybe she'd be receptive for what he had to tell her.

Serena piped up.

"Houston…I got through…pick up the phone."

Matt did that and heard a ring tone and he waited for someone to pick up.

Six rings and finally…a woman's voice.

"Houston Investigations, this is Marsha speaking…"

He furrowed his brow trying to remember who she was, put a face to her. Maybe from the secretarial pool?

"It's me Houston…say is Chris there? She usually answers the phone."

Marsha paused.

"Chris…didn't they tell you? She's working at Houston Enterprises. She wanted to transfer to live with her boyfriend."

Dan…the ex-Houston PD officer who'd retired and set up a security firm.

"I know…is there anyone else there?"

She paused a long moment.

"Most the office would want to talk with you Mr. Houston…if they knew you'd called but…no one here…except for Mr. Prescow."

Matt grimaced. Scott, not exactly the man he wanted to talk to after six months but he'd just wanted to touch base with those he left, telling them he was on his way back home.

The familiar voice on the other end…

"Houston is that really you?"

An edge in his accountant's voice, despite the enthusiasm in his voice. Matt wondered if he'd interrupted anything.

"It's me. Listen I'm calling to talk to C.J. or my uncle. Either of them in the office?"

Scott paused.

"No…neither is here. Roy's out in the field and C.J….she's traveling. Not sure when she'll be back."

Matt digested that. She must be off on a business junket for Murray which she still did occasionally even while working with Matt on investigations.

"She doing work for the company."

Another pause.

"Something like that. I can take a message if you'd like."

Matt sighed.

"I'm not always near a phone. Just tell them when they return that I'm going to be returning to L.A. in a week or two."

That got Scott's attention.

"Really…after all this traveling and keeping to yourself, you're ready to come back to your life?"

"Yeah…I'm ready…seen enough of the world. Got to get back to my caseload."

Scotty sighed.

"Roy's gotten a lot of clients," he said, "but he's keeping up."

Matt wasn't worried about that though he felt some guilt for leaving his business unattended for so long.

"I'll call again before I return. In another week."

Another pause.

"Okay thanks for the head's up. Everything will be just as you left it when you arrive."

Matt hung up and looked at Serena who arched a brow at him.

"Everything okay?"

Matt knit his brows.

"It seems like it. No one's in the office so I left a message with the accounting officer."

She shrugged.

"Now that you got that out of the way why don't you run along and have some fun?"

Matt left with Zeke and Brady to do just that. It was the end of a rather eventful and tumultuous year. He wanted to give it a proper sendoff and prepare for a brand new fresh start.

* * *

_C.J. crept down the dark hallway each step planted more deliberately than the last. Her muscles shook from the tension of not succumbing to the temptation to take off on a sprint. She didn't know the layout very well, just bit and pieces from her rare travels outside of her room. The rest of it might as well have been shrouded in a deep fog. _

_She looked around her at each juncture where one corridor led to the next or branched off into two separate paths, a fork in the road. The guards she expected to encounter with each turn weren't waiting and she began to breathe easier. Her mind focusing on how to get out of her prison. _

_A window of opportunity had opened and she had seized it. She must use it quickly before…_

_Noises erupted from somewhere outside her line of vision. Guards in a nearby corridor or even a room. _

"_So when do you think he'll be returning?"_

_A male voice to another. _

"_I think it's a buying trip. New shipment is being sent to Brazil to Rio. Then he's got to go to the island, do some business there."_

"_He's expanding operations down there?"_

"_Looks like it. He might have to shut down this place if the feds get too close."_

"_Oh they won't…he made sure of that…soon they won't be able to trust each other…"_

_C.J. pressed herself against the wall, listening to her heart pound. Her breathing, hoping the guards couldn't hear it too. _

_She didn't see the shadow creep behind her until it was too late. An icy hand gripped her shoulder. _

"_Where do you think you're going…don't you know you'll never escape from me?"_

C.J. awoke with a jolt suddenly her eyes looking around her. She soon realized she was in the living room in front of the crackling fire. A blanket wrapped around her as she lay in the couch. She must have nodded off. Noises from the kitchen, laughter told her that the others were preparing for the party and that several guests must have arrived. She got up to join them, shaking off the dream like the rest of them.

As she entered the kitchen, they looked at her and smiled, greeting her. The strange glances they'd given her in the beginning had faded and they were genuinely friendly. She'd become Kelly, a woman fleeing an abusive relationship and so the questions had stopped.

Bonnie handed her a glass of the cider she made which was done. She sipped it, not bad.

"I guess I didn't mess up the recipe."

Bonnie waved a hand.

"It's delicious…there's some of Jed's crepes too…"

C.J arched an eyebrow. Bonnie smiled.

"He's quite the cook," she said, "aside from being a poet."

C.J. could read the fondness that Bonnie had for him though she knew that Jed likely had his own secrets, some of which wrapped up in pain. He never talked much about his past before he took the foreman job at the ranch.

The door to the kitchen opened and another couple arrived, dressed in overcoats with snow sprinkled on them.

C.J.'s body tensed up until she recognized them as a couple on a ranch bordering the foothills beneath the Rockies. A bit of gusty wind followed them into the kitchen.

They carried the food and drink out to the living room where extra chairs had been set up. C.J. sat in a chair listening to the conversation but her mind wandered back over a thousand miles and a year to when she and Matt had celebrated New Year's Eve at a party he threw on his yacht moored off of Catalina Island.

Will had just returned and was living in L.A. and rebuilding his relationship with his own dad. Matt still mourned the loss of his own and C.J. said farewell to a tumultuous year that had seen her betray the man she loved, get shot twice and wind up locked in a detention center with amnesia. She'd just flown back to L.A. after talking with state prosecutors in Arizona in connection with the prostitution ring.

The questions about the silent partner. The faceless man who pulled the strings connected to both Sheriff Butz and Semour Piser. She'd been interrogated more than once on this mysterious player but she'd never seen him. Her involvement in the ring had been mercifully short so she had no answers to give them.

If only it'd been different now. Her whole life could be different, short one nightmare that might never end.

* * *

Matt and the others arrived at the party that included a barbecue, plenty of alcohol and a musical band. Zeke and Brady went to talk to several other men crowding around what looked like a roulette wheel. Gambling was a popular pastime on the island. Streamers, banners and even a replica of the ball at Times Square gave the square a festive appearance.

Mostly mercenaries and hired guns hung out on the island but even they liked to party and holidays provided convenient excuses to do that.

A young man wearing a hat with Father Time on it handed out barbecued pork and what looked like boiled potatoes and some unfamiliar greens.

"There's plenty of food…"

It smelled delicious enough.

"Thanks…"

He thought about the celebration his friends and family must be having at home without him. Well he'd be returning soon enough.

The party attracted quite a crowd around the poker table outside of one of the bars. He saw several men sitting down at that table, while another one left them after a brief conversation.

They all wore dark suits. It'd be easy to mistake them for serious businessmen just out of a meeting except he saw they were packing.

Mercenaries looking to blow off some steam?

He watched them carefully until one of them turned his head and saw him.

Something familiar about him…as if but Matt knew they'd never met. The man exuded power as he ordered a drink at the wet bar and then walked over to Matt.


	4. Chapter 4

C.J. ate her food with the others in the living room, watching them talk and laugh. Jed sat with Reade and some neighboring ranchers discussing the yearlings they had rounded up the day before after they'd slipped through an opening in the fence. They'd ridden out to look for them and found them picking through ice slicked dirt for shrubs of dead grass on the shore of the frozen lake.

"We'll go out and finish patching up the fence," Reade said, "Snow should be done and start to melt by late morning."

Jed nodded and C.J. planned to go out riding with them. She planned on carrying her weight while she hid out with Thea. Sienna would be itching for a ride after a day off spent in her stall and she'd be more than ready to leave the confines of the house.

The open wilderness which defined the unsettled part of the valley cleansed her mind of any memories that might plague her at least for a while. It reminded her of the years spent growing up in Texas on a ranch, one member of the same type of community. All tightly knit together as a family that banded together through the tough times and celebrated the good.

Days spent riding across the vastness of open ranch land with her friends including Matt. She sucked in her breath, just the memory of them riding through the tall grass, tipped with umber looking for strays took her back to a world she'd left behind.

A world so far away.

"So you think the lake will stay frozen into spring?"

Jed nodded at Bonnie who'd come over to join him. C.J. knew the woman was sweet on him but Jed lived in his own world much of the time, perhaps he had his own demons driving him. That was often the case of ranch hands that moved from job to job, never staying any place too long before packing up and moving again. But Jed had stayed long enough to become the foreman.

Bonnie sighed.

"Don't know if I'll ever get used to the winter but it's nice being warm inside like now."

Jed smiled, his eyes crinkling

"Eating great food with great company…"

C.J. listened to them, while eating her food. Her stomach had rumbled when she first smelled the aroma. Her appetite had picked up a lot recently.

"What about you Kelly?"

She hesitated slightly but she knew her new self by now. She covered for it by sipping from her glass.

"I…the winters were never this cold," she said, "but lots of snow…."

Bonnie continued eating glancing at C.J. every so often. C.J. knew that despite the cover story she remained curious about her.

"You missed ranching…before you came here?"

C.J. paused drawing a deep breath, carefully.

"I do…I miss my family growing up but it's nice being here with so many nice people. Reminds me of back then."

That seemed to satisfy Bonnie…for now and it was nothing but the truth after all. But thinking about them here and now wouldn't change anything.

* * *

Matt watched as the man approached him. Zeke had joined him with a dish of paella and also noticed him.

The man smiled slightly as he stopped in front of them. Matt raised a brow but didn't say anything. The man exuded more than just power. Hard lines etched his face and even though he smiled, his eyes didn't share in that.

"Good evening…lively party here tonight."

Matt and Zeke looked at each other. Matt tilted his face.

"You could say that. Saying goodbye to the old year and ringing in the new one…course it doesn't take much on this island to get people in the festive mood."

The man's smile widened.

"I can see that. I was looking for some place away from the grind of my work. This island fit perfectly."

Matt watched the man flex his arms a bit, muscular and fit. Someone who worked out in the field rather than behind a desk in an office. He fit in well with his surroundings, even as the party continued around them.

"Us too…we just got back from a job."

The man arched his brows.

"Oh? You're the group of mercs who are just south of here…I heard of your reputation…"

Matt nodded slightly.

"I'm just here helping some friends. But they do good work…and you're…"

The man smiled again, seemingly relaxed but Matt knew from watching that could change in an instant.

"I'm Cortez…I'm in that business myself," he said, sticking his hand out.

Matt shook it.

"I'm Matt…Houston…this is Zeke…"

The man digested that information and Matt noticed that his body relaxed. The man arched his brows.

"So you off assignments for how long?"

Matt glanced at Zeke and then back at Cortez.

"Why do you want to know?"

Cortez took a slow breath.

"I might have a job for you. If you really have the skills that I need…"

Matt folded his arms. He didn't know what kind of business the man ran but that hair on the back of his neck…he didn't think it'd be quite legal. Still…impressions could be wrong.

"What kind of job? The men I work with definitely are skilled at what they do."

Cortez nodded, flashing an indulgent grin.

"You do missing persons?"

Zeke spoke up.

"Sometimes...depending on who's missing. Who you looking for?"

Cortez paused.

"A young woman…she's…disappeared and my client wants to find her."

Matt frowned.

"This woman she wants to be found?"

Cortez shot him a piercing look.

"Why do you ask? Of course she's not missing of her own accord."

Matt sighed.

"Okay she's got family looking for her? Friends…"

"Something like that."

Matt shot Zeke a look. The man seemed interested listening intently. Something about Cortez…relaxed yet Matt wondered.

"A runaway…"

Cortez' eyes widened slightly.

"What makes you say that?"

Matt shrugged.

"Your face."

Cortez frowned and then nodded.

"Okay she ran away…from one of our houses and before she did she took something that didn't belong to her."

"Houses…you mean…."

"It's a business Mr. Houston. This woman, she's got something my client wants back. We just need to find her and retrieve it."

Matt rubbed the back of his neck.

"What about the woman? What happens to her?"

Cortez sighed.

"That's not your concern. That'll be handled in house."

Matt grimaced.

"It is my concern if any harm comes to someone just because I'm good at my job and found them."

Cortez appeared to think about it.

"No harm is intended. My client just wants his property back."

Matt narrowed his brows.

"Does that include the woman?"

The man just stared at him and Matt had his answer.

* * *

C.J. got up when the last guest arrived. She knew him on sight. He was after all the one who'd brought her here when she'd called him from a phone booth in the middle of nowhere in Washington state one night.

She got up with the blanket still wrapped around her to meet him.

"Jonathan…"

He stood still watching her. She knew he was assessing her just like a typical U.S. Marshal to see if she'd recovered from her injuries.

"Kelly…"

Like everyone else in the loop, careful enough to use her alias in front of others. She smiled at him.

"Good to see you…"

She almost meant it. Their relationship had always been so complicated since the night they met while working menial jobs in a forgotten eatery.

The night that forever bounded them together because of what they'd faced and what they'd escaped.

Just barely.

Theo came out of the kitchen and embraced her son. He tensed in her arms. Jonathan had never been comfortable with public displays of affection. She remembered that about him.

He looked a bit sheepish as she brushed the snow off of his coat.

"Plenty of food left in the kitchen. Good to see you."

She knew it had more about conducting business than reuniting with family.

"Thanks…but I need to talk with…Kelly here…"

He gestured for her to follow him and she wondered if the floor had fallen out from her once again. They stood in the hallway away from the warmth of the fire and she felt a draft. Pulling the blanket closer to her she stared at him, waiting.

"What is it you want now?"

He paused.

"I need the disk…it's time to find out what's on it."


	5. Chapter 5

Matt and Zeke went to help themselves to more food as the festivities intensified around them as they approached midnight.

The end of an old year, sparking the arrival of a new one. Soon, Matt would be heading back to L.A. and home.

Cortez had left him a business card to an importing firm, but Matt knew better. That business was only a cover for what the man really did…most certainly something not so legal. His client was missing one of his women from a bordello or something similar and he was hired to find her.

Matt took the card after the man disappeared into a crowd gathered around the makeshift stage where a band performed classic rock songs from another era. Zeke bit into a fried banana and shook his head.

"Strange he dropping in on a party like that drumming up business."

Matt put the business card in his pocket and looked at Zeke thoughtfully.

"His boss must want that woman back very badly."

Zeke chuckled.

"The money he offered to find her."

Matt sighed.

"It's a price on her head."

They continued threading themselves through the throngs of partiers.

"He'll shop among the mercs here until he finds someone who'll take his money."

Matt knew it wouldn't be easy to find someone to do what Cortez wanted once there was any hint that human trafficking involved. Most of those who were holed up on the island in between assignments didn't even dabble in that world but Cortez would find someone who didn't follow that informal code.

A man who acted as persistent as he did…

Matt sipped his beer.

"After that last job we did…and we weren't able to pin down who ran that operation."

Zeke shrugged.

"The nature of this business is that those who head it are always elusive. They hide in plain sight through their legit businesses."

"I wonder what kind of legit business a man who traffics in small children would hind behind…"

"It could be anything…just something that brings in a lot of money on its own," Zeke said, "So the authorities never suspect its purpose."

Matt looked at his beer.

"We do know that the man who was procuring and selling children as cannon fodder had a partner," he said, "Somewhere in North America…"

Zeke rubbed his jawline.

"That's a big continent and besides what does it matter? We got those kids out of there and they're safe now."

Matt felt troubled.

"That leaves so many others out there still caught up in it. I just never knew that all this was happening…"

"Most people don't. It operates in the shadows after all," Zeke said, "But slavery's an old institution after all."

Matt couldn't argue with that. But what he'd just seen…he'd never forget it. Maybe when he returned home…but he knew he'd slip back into the life he left and all of this…it'd be the time he'd spent traveling the world to find himself.

Zeke slapped him on the shoulder.

"Enough talk on this. We came here to have a good time so let's party."

Matt paused and then he nodded. The old year filled with turmoil and heartache would soon be in its proper place behind him as well.

* * *

C.J. stood in the hallway with Jonathan, her hands on her hips.

"The disk?"

He nodded.

"The one that you took from them and brought with you."

She shrugged.

"It's ruined…from the time I spent in that river."

He seemed to process that.

"You sure?"

She nodded.

"I…got rid of it."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You did what?"

She tilted her face, studying his own. She knew her words upset him, tough he'd just have to deal.

"You heard me…it's gone. Look I tried but Andre's men took my options away from me when they forced me to jump into the river."

The swirling, icy currents had nearly swallowed her up after she'd taken the plunge off the ridge to get away from the men who'd chased her from the compound. She'd only had seconds to decide…

"I chose freedom."

Jonathan just stared at her a long moment. She knew she'd disappointed him after all he'd done to help her when she'd called him from that payphone in some town with a name that eluded her, several months ago.

Finally he nodded.

"I know but the information that it contained…"

She finished.

"Is all gone…but there's other ways to get information on his operation."

Jonathan sighed.

"It's going to take a lot longer," he said, "and in the meantime he's looking for you."

She smiled slightly.

"Nice to know you care Jonathan."

His eyes softened, somewhat.

"You know I do…C.J."

She remembered years ago when life had been simpler for both of them. For a brief period, they'd been in love after all.

"Look I know what's at stake here," she said, "Believe me I know…"

He would just have to believe in her.

* * *

Matt looked out into the ocean as the raucous celebration faded behind him. When he'd left Zeke and Brady, there had been some kind of conga line going. He'd taken another bottle of beer with him as he walked along the shore, the pebbles crunching under his shoes.

The ocean was still tonight, shimmering under the moon like a sheet of glass. A map of stars above if you knew how to read it.

Someone had lit torches leading down to where he stood now looking across the water towards what he believed to lead somewhere to his home country.

The beer tasted bitter as the chill of it faded. The night had cooled but they were in the Caribbean after all and yet despite the festivities his thoughts were of home and what waited there. No doubt Roy and Will were out celebrating on New Year's Eve which trailed that of this island by a few hours.

No doubt C.J was out celebrating too. He wondered if she were with friends, or even a boyfriend. He'd not talked to her in months, not talked with anyone just sent postcards to the offices in L.A. and Houston letting people know he was still alive and well.

That he hadn't fallen off the planet.

He sipped his beer thinking of what he'd learned about himself and what he wanted in his life. The evening spent in the sweat lodge had made it crystal clear what possible future awaited him.

Was he brave enough to go back and claim it?

He sighed, not knowing what waited back home after all. What if he got back and found out he was too late? What if that decision had been taken from him?

The sense of urgency that broke into his enjoyment of his travels woke him up in the mornings and lingered throughout the day.

He heard the footsteps approach him even before he turned around and saw who stood there.


	6. Chapter 6

A couple familiar people so far...Cortex earlier and Stefan now...hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Matt counted before he turned around to face the man he had met months ago across the wide ocean. He stood there in jeans and a black short sleeved shirt, over a muscular frame while scrutinizing him carefully. It reminded Matt of a predator sizing up prey which irked him being every bit the alpha male.

The two men just looked at each other while the tide of the ocean moved inland, curling around Matt's shoes.

He didn't notice. The other man relaxed first and smiled, though the hardness of his eyes remained untouched.

"Matt Houston…"

Matt tilted his face.

"I don't believe I got your name…"

The man nodded.

"I'm sorry to put you at a disadvantage. I'm Stefan Kostas…"

Matt's eyes widened.

"You're…"

Stefan nodded as if expecting it. Matt had no doubt his name sparked a reaction in many people being a CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical empires on the planet.

The man he'd met in that small town in Germany had been unassuming even as he'd exuded power. But he hadn't known much about him, except by reputation.

"We met up in Germany around Oktoberfest at that party…"

Matt remembered, and a pretty young woman, Clarissa had been his date. He'd enjoyed a short fling with her before they parted ways.

"Yes…so what brings you to this part of the world?"

After all the island wasn't a harbor for prominent business but for mercenaries and other characters who lived within the shadows.

Stefan shrugged.

"I'm on holiday. I have an estate in a small island off the coast of Venezuela. I just closed a major business deal."

"Another merger?"

Stefan paused.

"Not exactly…but just as important."

Matt digested that, knowing that the man in front of him had many companies tied up in his empire, too many to count. But Matt had spent the earlier part of his adulthood collecting companies to add to his own conglomerate until he realized he no longer wanted to compete with his father.

"So did you find what you're looking for?"

Matt looked up suddenly at Stefan who waited expectedly.

"What…you mean…"

Stefan smiled.

"That which eluded you. I assume there was a woman involved."

Matt pursed his lips.

"I'll be heading back home if that's what you're asking. I've got a business waiting for me."

"I assume you've got a personal life as well."

Matt prickled, knowing he hadn't shared that information with Stefan. Yet the man waited for him to answer.

"I know what it's like Mr. Houston…I wish I could spend more time with my own family but business…it's a major part of who I am. Fortunately I have a wife who understands…"

Matt figured like most prominent tycoons, Stefan kept that part of his life neatly segregated from his business.

"That must work well for you…"

Stefan sighed.

"Yes…there are parts of my business my wife wouldn't understand. The hours for one thing…the time away traveling to business meetings…"

Matt raised a hand.

"I assume you're not here to tell me about the arduous life of a business executive."

Stefan chuckled.

"You're perceptive Mr. Houston…"

Matt didn't shift his focus from the man's face.

"What is it?"

Stefan paused.

"I saw you talking to that man earlier. I imagine he offered you a job."

Matt didn't answer.

"You don't have to say anything. I know how he and his kind work. What did he want from you?"

Matt hedged.

"Just wanted to hire us for a job."

Stefan rubbed the back of his neck.

"He wanted you to find…a woman?"

Matt blinked his eyes and Stefan smiled, his eyes still like ice.

"I see…did he tell you why he's looking for this woman?"

Matt paused.

"I assume she has something that he wants. Isn't that usually the case?"

Stefan chuckled again.

"You might be right," he said, "but I'm looking for her too…for other reasons."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Oh…and you want to hire someone to bring this woman in?"

Stefan paused.

"Something like that...but it's not what you think."

* * *

C.J. flinched when Jonathon reached out to touch her. He didn't mean anything bad by it but it didn't matter. He seemed taken back.

"Hey I'm not going to hurt you. You do know that don't you?"

She bit her lip and then nodded but still kept her distance.

"It's not you…but I told you I don't have what you want. I don't have the disk."

Jonathan just stared at her and she wondered if he believed her.

"Okay then…but you have the information."

She tilted her face, studying the intent in his eyes. She knew that Jonathan wanted to avenge what had happened to her…but not just for her. He was a U.S. Marshal after all, he didn't take too kindly to any criminal thumbing his nose at him.

He wanted her help but she'd just finally decided she just wanted to live.

"Look like I said, I don't have it…and any information I have I already gave you…"

He didn't look like he believed her.

"C.J…"

She frowned.

"I'm Kelly now…isn't that right?"

"Okay…Kelly, I need whatever you have to bust up this trafficking ring," he said, "I know this…the man who held you…"

She glanced away.

"He did much more than that."

Jonathan shifted his posture.

"Okay…but we can bring him and the rest of them in…if we have the information on that disk."

She shook her head.

"I don't have it Jonathan…okay do you understand that? Because I can…"

They both heard footsteps and turned to look at Thea. Jonathan frowned at his mother.

"We were just talking…business."

Thea gave him a look.

"You take it easier on her okay? She's not better yet. Besides it's New Year's Eve and we're here to celebrate."

Both C.J. and Jonathan looked at her even if they couldn't look at each other. Then C.J. nodded at Thea.

"I'm sorry…."

Thea softened.

"Nothing to be sorry about…just want to make sure you get plenty to eat…you're still healing up."

Thea flashed a pointed look at her son.

"The doctor says you need to eat plenty of good food…especially now that you're doing ranch work okay?"

C.J. nodded.

"I'll do that…Jonathan I'm sorry I can't help you…"

She left them and Thea stared at her son, one hand on her hip.

"I can't believe you cornering her and hounding her like that. You know what she's been through…"

He stared back at his mother.

"No I don't because she won't talk about it. What did she tell you?"

Thea sighed.

"Not much but we both know what she's been through…what that man did to her…"

Jonathan paused then nodded.

"If she doesn't say anything…"

"She doesn't need to…what she needs is someone who knows her…someone she trusts."

He sighed looking down at his hands.

"That's not possible and you know why…"

"I guess I do but I don't understand it. I don't know how to help her."

He shook his head.

"It's not your place…"

She cut him off.

"Someone has to Jonathan. She's all alone here…"

"Not much I can do about that," he said, "I have to do my job. That's the best way to help her."

Thea didn't seem so sure about that.

"You know she's got family."

He didn't respond right away.

"They'd just get in the way. Complicate our case."

She rolled her eyes.

"She's not a case…she's a woman who's been through Hell….I think you should really think twice about contacting this Matt Houston."

"I can't. Besides no one can find him. It's like he dropped off the face of the earth."

She sighed.

"She needs him. What they had must have been special."

Jonathan lost patience.

"He'll just screw up everything not to mention our case. Everything has to be handled just right. You know that to get the men responsible."

She listened to him.

"What about her and what she's facing?"

Jonathan didn't answer her.


End file.
